The drumbeat of American voters is starting to get louder. People are growing nervous about the future of Social Security and Medicare while getting more vocal about the $39 trillion federal debt that seems to being growing out of control. There are serious proposals out there, and it will be interesting to see how many of this fall’s political candidates choose to speak up on the issue while trying not to alienate potential voters. We’re seeing a spike of interest among clie

Plug your leaks before you sail Show notes: So... retirement is on the horizon... and you’re about to set sail... Now’s the time to check for leaks in your spending plan... and fix them... while there’s still time... In today’s episode of the Help Me Retire podcast... 10 pain-free ways to tighten your belt... so you’ll have more money to spend on the fun stuff... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast… with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with Raymond James Financial

The deal to end the war in Iran has given some hope to cash-strapped consumers – especially those filling their gas tanks for the summer driving season. Crude oil prices peaked at $114 a barrel this spring and have since fallen below $80. The question now is: How soon can we expect lower gasoline prices? It could take months before transports get back to normal levels and into refineries. And the U.S. Strategic Oil Reserve – which can act as a buffer for volatile fuel prices

When the stock market gets rocky, a lot of people instinctively pull back. They see prices bouncing up and down and assume that volatility and risk are the same thing. I don’t see it that way. To me, risk is not simply the possibility that your investments might lose value from time to time. I think risk really means the chance you won’t achieve your financial goals. It’s the failure of building enough wealth to retire comfortably, or that once you are retired, it’s watching

More disheartening news on inflation of late. A monthly government report showed consumer prices rose 4.2% in May over a year ago – the highest pace of increases in three years. To blame: mostly oil and gas prices as a by-product of the Iran War, and the persistent added cost of tariffs on the things we all buy. Where we go from here no one can say, of course. But if you’re troubled by the prospect of an overheating economy or a stock market bubble bursting, now is not the ti

A clever strategy for retirement spending Show notes: Living off your investment income in retirement is a dream for many people... But what if you don’t want to limit yourself to that? What if you can’t afford to keep your principal intact? What if you don’t like the idea of leaving a lot of money behind? If that’s you... I’ve got a clever strategy to share with you... one inspired by a very unlikely source... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast… with your host… Mike Brown… S

Persistent inflation is posing some serious challenges to folks just trying to get by. New data show Americans are saving less – a lot less – these days, while borrowing more to make ends meet. If you are feeling the squeeze, you have two basic options. You can try to increase your income – through your current job, a side hustle, or getting more cash flow from your investments – or you can look for ways to hold back the tide of rising prices with your spending. Personally, I

How many times have you asked yourself these questions: How am I doing financially? Am I ahead of schedule or behind? What should I be doing that I haven’t been? What can I do to improve my finances? What should I be working on next? This month, Mike discussed the True Wealth Index, a diagnostic tool to show you what you’re doing well – and where you can improve. The True Wealth Index can help you identify which critical steps to take next on your path toward financial in

If you’ve got a young one at home looking for a summer job, it’s not looking good right now. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas predict this will be the worst summer for teen employment – since 1948. Why? The businesses that typically take on part-time summer help – resorts, hotels, amusement parks, for example – are being hit hard by inflation and soaring fuel prices, just like the rest of us. Rising prices are cramping the lifestyles of retired Americans as well

When to claim Social Security is one of the biggest retirement decisions you’ll make—and one of the most misunderstood. Many people default to a simple rule of thumb: take it early if you need it, wait if you don’t. There’s some truth to that, but the real answer usually involves a little more thinking. I like to frame the decision a different way: What job do you need Social Security to do for you? Do you need income now? Are you trying to protect yourself from outliving you

It’s become a recurring theme lately: How can the markets be doing so well when the world seems to grow crazier every day? And the answer continues to be – earnings. Markets are made up of companies. Companies are in the business of generating profits for their shareholders. And the extent to which they succeed is ultimately reflected in their share prices. The more money a company (and collectively, the market) earns, the more valuable it becomes. It’s as simple as that. Rec

Volatility is not the same as risk Show notes: Up one day and down the next... stocks can be volatile... But does that make them... risky? THAT depends on how you define risk... and a lot of people are thinking about risk... all wrong... Today... I’m going to show you how market volatility can actually help you BUILD wealth... And if you’re retired... and trying to make your money LAST... I’ll show you how to build an investment portfolio that can help you sleep better at nig

Inflation is now running at a 3.8% pace, the fastest increase in three years. That’s alarming enough, but a peek beneath the surface of last week’s report shows even more reason for concern. Consumer prices grew faster than wages in April – the first time that’s happened in three years – and it shows that Americans are falling behind. Most of the inflation spike is tied directly to energy costs, up 18% over last year. We’re paying 28% more to drive than we did last April, and

If you’ve ever looked at a Roth IRA conversion and thought, “So I’m choosing to pay taxes now… so I can potentially pay less later?” – you’re exactly right. But that’s not the whole story. Here’s the part many people miss: retirement isn’t the end of tax planning. In many ways, it’s when tax planning becomes more important – because once you retire, you often gain more control over your income. You can decide when to start Social Security, when to turn on a pension, when to r

America’s economy is the largest in the world. The companies that power that economy – and lead the world in innovation – are growing at impressive rates. The dollar continues to hold its position as the global reserve currency. U.S. Treasury securities are still classified as risk-free investments. Many of the things Americans think of as daily necessities are considered luxuries in most of the rest of the world. But increasingly, the federal government is relying on borrowe

Deciding when to take Social Security Show notes: It’s the question every retiree faces... when’s the best time to claim Social Security benefits? I’ve got five questions for you today... that could help you make a smarter decision... on this episode of... The Help Me Retire Podcast... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast… with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with Raymond James Financial Services… and head of Brown Family Wealth Advisors… Mike is the best-selling a

Most retirees don’t set out to overpay taxes. It just happens – quietly, year after year – because nobody ever taught them how retirement taxes really work. In retirement, taxes stop being something that “happens to you” and become something you can influence. Why? Because you’re no longer collecting a single paycheck with withholding handled behind the scenes. You’re now the CFO of your own income. You decide when to take Social Security, how much to withdraw from IRAs, whet

Financial markets appear to be trading on the headlines lately, and many investors have trouble understanding why stocks are performing reasonably well – the S&P 500 is back in the black year-to-date – while the rest of the world seems be spinning out of control. But look under the surface and you’ll see that what drives markets over time is how much money the underlying companies are making. Earnings, and the rate at which those earnings are growing at U.S. companies, are ac

If you’ve ever opened the mailbox (or inbox) and thought, “Where am I supposed to put all of this?” you are not alone. Bank statements, 401(k) notices, insurance updates, “important” credit card letters, old tax returns, legal documents, passwords on sticky notes – before long, it becomes more than paper clutter. It becomes mental clutter. And here’s the frustrating part: when your financial life feels disorganized, every decision feels heavier than it should. You hesitate,

Years ago, when I was just getting started and had barely a dollar to my name, someone explained to me that early in your career, it takes ten units of effort to produce one unit of results – which feels like rolling a boulder uphill. But if you stick with it long enough, you eventually reach the point where one unit of effort produces ten units of results, and that boulder starts rolling down the other side. That’s exactly how building wealth from scratch works. It’s slow…